Chapter 278: Chapter 268: The Mysterious Tunnel

Tang Mo wasn’t one for ceremony. Since she was already here, she was going to get to work.

Besides, the work wasn’t tedious. It was incredibly simple: just dig out the pieces of metal partially exposed in the rubble, which a designated worker would then collect into their Space Treasure.

Everyone knew that items couldn’t be put directly into a Space unless they were fully exposed.

Tang Mo didn’t even use any tools. She just put on a pair of gloves and began pulling the metal out with her bare hands. It was purely a test of her own Strength.

She didn’t use her spiritual power. This was a perfect opportunity to train her Strength Attribute, and Tang Mo had no intention of wasting it.

The large chunks of metal peeking out from the rubble were all massive pieces of industrial scrap. Their weight was far beyond what an ordinary person could lift.

Even Tang Mo had to use all her might to barely move them on her own.

The others, however, weren’t working nearly as hard. They gathered in small groups, slacking off as they went about their tasks.

Every so often, calf-high mutant rats would dart out from the trash heaps. They weren’t very strong and were quickly dispatched by the workers.

The group worked until dusk, at which point Zhang Chao finally announced they would make camp and rest.

There were five tents in total. Five people were assigned to each, while Zhang Chao took one for himself.

The food also came from Zhang Chao’s Space—vacuum-sealed packets and water. The portions were small, just enough to stave off hunger.

Qin Fen, of course, wasn’t about to squeeze into a tent with the others. He produced a tent from his own Space and settled in with Wen Qing.

Tang Mo did the same, pulling her own tent from her Space.

The Apocalypse Garbage Dump was a vast region. They were now deep within it, standing on rubble with not a single patch of flat ground to be found.

Inside her tent, Tang Mo laid down two thick, flat wooden boards. On top of the boards, she placed two thick mattress pads.

She then put her sleeping bag on top of it all, finally creating a comfortable space for herself.

Once inside, Tang Mo took out a serving of sausage fried rice, added two large chicken drumsticks for herself, and began her delicious dinner.

She was working so hard entirely to improve and stimulate her Strength Attribute, not for the sake of self-torture.

Her body was already being pushed to its limits; ensuring her sleep and meals were comfortable was simply part of Tang Mo’s personal philosophy.

As for the others, no matter how dissatisfied they were, they could only endure it. Exhausted after a full day’s work and with only half-full stomachs, they crammed together and went to sleep.

The next morning, just as the sun began to rise, Zhang Chao was already shouting for everyone to get up and get to work.

’As a foreman, Zhang Chao is really showing his true colors, a master of exploiting the working class,’ Tang Mo thought. ’I just wonder if he’ll stiff them on their wages, too.’

Tang Mo woke in her warm, soft sleeping bag. After a quick wash using a basin of water inside the tent, she packed the entire tent and its contents back into her Space, ready to be taken out again that night.

As she worked that day, Tang Mo could clearly feel that her control over her Strength had become much more fluid and effortless.

’It seems that no matter what, as long as you persevere, you’ll always see results.’

Although the ball of light in her sea of consciousness remained unchanged, the tangible difference in her own body spurred Tang Mo to work even harder.

She was giving it every ounce of strength she had. Sweat poured down her cheeks, but she didn’t pause for a moment, continuing to haul the scrap metal.

Tang Mo’s drive startled even Zhang Chao. ’Could this girl have been sent by the higher-ups? Is she one of us?’

’Or is there just something wrong with her head?’

Qin Fen and Wen Qing sat off to the side, watching. They both had the same thought: ’Is Tang Mo crazy? Does she really have to go this far?’

But Tang Mo couldn’t care less what anyone else thought. As the Strength Attribute within her grew more active and easier to command, her excitement mounted.

After clearing out all the visible metal, she began to dig through the trash heaps, determined to find more to haul out.

The deeper a piece of metal was buried, the harder it was to extract and the more strength it required—and the more thrilled Tang Mo became.

Eventually, even Zhang Chao and his ten diggers were exhausted and sat down to rest. Yet Tang Mo continued to roam through the garbage dump, rummaging tirelessly, refusing to stop even for a moment.

Everyone watched Tang Mo work, and an unexpected feeling of being moved stirred in their hearts.

To think that even in the apocalypse, there was still someone so dedicated, diligent, and hardworking. It was truly a story for the ages.

In the afternoon, just as everyone was engrossed in the tense and thrilling business of scavenging, a shrill female voice cried out from the west.

Tang Mo recognized it as Lin Xin’s voice.

The mutant beasts in the Apocalypse Garbage Dump were all small and didn’t travel in packs. Logically, they shouldn’t have been a match for Lin Xin.

Tang Mo sprinted over. By the time everyone else had gathered around Lin Xin, they saw that a large hole had been unearthed.

It wasn’t just any hole. It looked like a tunnel had been carved into the ruins, extending deep underground.

The tunnel was wide enough for two people, but no one knew how long it was or where it led.

"What is this?!"

Lin Xin and two diggers had just moved a large piece of metal machinery when this mysterious passage was revealed.

This definitely wasn’t man-made. The rubble, animal remains, and shattered junk all seemed to be repelled from the entrance by some mysterious force, keeping the tunnel perfectly clear.

Tang Mo glanced at the sudden discovery and then studied the expressions of the others.

She had known all along that this trip to the Apocalypse Garbage Dump wouldn’t be so simple. Now, the complication had finally appeared, and she was curious to see who was pulling the strings.

Lin Xin’s shout brought everyone crowding over. At that moment, with the exception of Zhang Chao and Qin Fen, everyone wore expressions of fear, curiosity, and hesitation.

Faced with something unknown, especially in such an unfamiliar environment, it was impossible for anyone not to be deeply unsettled.

But the expressions on Zhang Chao and Qin Fen’s faces were different. They clearly knew something about the tunnel and whatever lay below.

’Perhaps the mission was just a pretext,’ she considered. ’Maybe both of them came here for whatever is at the bottom of this tunnel.’

’So, what exactly is down there?’

Tang Mo looked at the bottomless tunnel and tried to probe it with her spiritual power.

But her spiritual power had only penetrated two hundred meters when it was blocked by a barrier.

The sensation from this barrier was very familiar to Tang Mo, much like the one she had encountered back in Sand Town.

’Could this place be...’

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